Holly history could still be honoured if community centre gets new name

Holly’s history should be honoured at the south-Barrie community centre if it’s renamed.

City councillors gave initial approval Monday night to rename the Mapleton Avenue facility ‘Peggy Hill Team Community Centre’ as part of a $640,000, eight-year naming rights agreement. Also, the Heritage Barrie committee would be consulted on the development of an installation at the community centre to showcase the history of the Holly community.

“The name on the building is one thing,” said Coun. Jim Harris. “The building isn’t part of Holly’s longtime heritage, but the area is and is there a way that we can honour that heritage, the hamlet of Holly, in some way in this building.”

Coun. Gary Harvey, who represents this area, said he’s heard pushback about the name change.

“Obviously, there was some concern being raised by some residents in regards to the building losing its identity without the Holly name on it,” he said, noting feedback has come from not just local residents, but those throughout Barrie. “I was kind of caught off guard. I didn’t anticipate that we were going to receive some of the comments that we’ve seen online.”

Harvey said city council decided in 2015 to look into naming rights deals for Barrie facilities.

“Because we are very limited as to where our revenue streams can come from and this is just one more way that municipalities can increase revenue and it’s been very successful in other municipalities,” he said, mentioning Newmarket and Peterborough.

Proceeds from the naming rights sale would go into Barrie’s sponsorship revenue account, thereby contributing to the city’s overall annual operating revenue.

Only Coun. Keenan Aylwin voted against the motion.

“The Holly neighbourhood is one of the few neighbourhoods in Barrie with a strong and cohesive community identity,” he said. “The Holly Community Centre is a big part of that. I believe strongly that public spaces should celebrate and honour community. I also believe that naming our key public spaces shouldn't necessarily be left up to the highest bidder.

“Community identity helps us connect to our neighbours, see the humanity in others, and ultimately care for each other. It may seem like a small thing, but it can make a big impact," Aylwin added. 

But most councillors said it's a fair deal for the city and the Peggy Hill Team.

“I think this strikes a good, delicate balance between recognizing the sensitivities of an area while still embracing a sponsorship strategy that was very thoroughly developed,” Coun. Sergio Morales said of the agreement and an historical showcase.

Coun. Clare Riepma, chairman of Heritage Barrie committee, said its members would be interested in working on the project.

“I think it strikes all the right notes,” he said.

“I know some residents are a little bit troubled by the naming of our facilities. The city’s changing,” said Coun. Robert Thomson. “I understand the challenges of the people in Coun. Harvey’s neighbourhood, because they’ve become so used to it being called the Holly, but I think this is a great step forward.”

Mayor Jeff Lehman also spoke to the backlash. 

“There are folks who disagree with council’s decision to offer sponsorship opportunities for our arenas,” he said. “That disagreement is with us. Please don’t dunk on the people who come forward who want to contribute this money to support our community.

“This is a policy, naming rights, that not everybody does agree with but brings a great deal of additional funding to our community and to our rec centre and to our programs,” the mayor added. “I think it is important that we are going to recognize the history of the community in the facility and that will be something that many, many people see as it is one of our busiest facilities in the city.”

Council will consider final approval of this motion at its Jan. 17 meeting .

City staff sought out interested parties for the Holly Community Centre naming rights and had talks with 20 local companies.

The $640,000 would be paid in annual installments of $80,000 over the eight years of the agreement, beginning March 1, 2022 and ending Feb. 28, 2030. The start or end date of the deal would be adjusted if the facility is closed for an extended period of time, three months or more, due to a  pandemic or if a large portion of the building was damaged by a tornado or other natural disaster.

As part of the proposed deal, the city would pay costs associated with the naming rights changeover. The first sponsorship payment of $80,000 would go toward covering the costs associated with switching signs to the new name.

Peggy Hill has been in Barrie since 1992 and in the real estate business since 2003. She has donated to a number of groups, including the YMCA of Simcoe Muskoka’s ‘100 Reasons Y’ campaign, Barrie Food Bank, Autism Ontario, Gilda’s Club, Hospice Simcoe and the Children’s Miracle Network.

The city has a 10-year, $1.7-million naming rights agreement with Sadlon Motors for the former Barrie Molson Centre in the city’s south end, called Sadlon Arena.

Rebecca James-Reid, the city’s executive director of Access Barrie, told councillors Monday night there’s a list of several city facilities for which staff are looking to find a sponsor.